


have you tried turning it off and on again

by vonseal



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Romance, slight socky there at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 08:24:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13407288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonseal/pseuds/vonseal
Summary: jinwoo's favorite hobby is breaking computers, because dongmin's favorite hobby is fixing them.





	have you tried turning it off and on again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yehetxo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yehetxo/gifts).



> so i caNT DO JINCHA JUSTICE, I AM SORRY
> 
> [yehetxo](https://softeggboi.tumblr.com/) wanted a jincha fic. i delivered terrible news. i cant write jincha

Jinwoo watches the I.T. employee with interest, pretending to nod along to all of his explanations and pretending to develop an understanding of how technology works, as if he didn't already know beforehand.

There was a rumor that Jinwoo sucked at technology. All of the other teachers' aides mocked him relentlessly for it. He couldn't eat lunch with any of them and not hear, “So, Jinwoo, how many computers did you break _today?_ ”

Jinwoo was, in all actuality, rather good when it came to working on computers. He followed the age-old suggestion, “try turning it off and on again,” and when that didn't work, he would just look up resolved issues on forums or help boards.

And at school, too, as he prepared to take attendance for the class he worked in while waiting for the ever-late professor, he _knew_ how to work the computers. The issues they suffered were typically minor, and it took a little bit of tinkering in order to make everything fall back into line.

There had only been once when he was in desperate need of assistance. It was when he began his venture as a teacher aid, a nervous wreck as he stepped into the classroom and fumbled with the settings on the old, desktop for a little while. It was a student who, bored of Jinwoo's mumbling and frantic button-smashing, had commented, “Maybe you should call I.T.?”

Jinwoo wanted to refuse, because he considered himself hip and _with it_ when it came to computers and phones and the likes, but instead, he decided it would be best to save face and admit defeat while he still had _some_ of his dignity left. He had asked, “How do I call them?” and was led through the process by his students, who just wanted to begin the assignments and leave for the day.

Jinwoo placed I.T. on call, and he was struck by the man who answered; deep, rich voice with a light tone and cheerful demeanor. Not at all what Jinwoo was thinking of when the words _I.T._ had popped up in the classroom.

Normally, Jinwoo supposed, the tech gurus were expected to walk hapless teachers (and, apparently, teacher's aides) through the process of fixing what needed to be fixed. But as more time went on and more instructions were given from the deep-voiced man, Jinwoo found himself growing steadily more upset.

“None of that worked,” he repeated himself for the fifth time, clicking the mouse at a few icons, though none of the clicks seemed to register. “I think it might just be the mouse. Is there one I can switch out?”

The voice was silent for a second, though Jinwoo could hear some sort of shuffling, and then, “Yeah, I have one right here. I'll be there in a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” Jinwoo responded, right after the call hung up. He felt silly, but decided to pretend as if he _didn't_ just answer a dial-tone, and his students _hadn't_ heard the entire proceedings.

He apologized to the class. They shrugged their shoulders and went back to their phones and laptops as Jinwoo fiddled with a few papers he had brought as a teaching guide for himself. He hated dealing with such a screw-up on his first day in his new position; his fault or not, he should have still been prepared for a technological malfunction, and he should have been able to work around it.

He reminded himself, though, that the I.T. guy should arrive at any second, and he eyed the door cautiously, awaiting the judgmental eyes and stupid smirk that would _surely_ come. I.T. employees, Jinwoo had learned from his time as an undergraduate, were typically a little snooty and a little smug. It didn't help that he was helping to teach a photography class; the arts and the sciences never really got along back when Jinwoo was a student.

The door opened and Jinwoo sighed with relief (and acceptance of his maltreatment at the hands of some tech-nerd).

It most _definitely_ wasn't an I.T. employee.

It was an angel.

The angel looked at Jinwoo and smiled brightly, then pointed at the computer. “I'm assuming it's _that_ one that's acting unruly, correct?” he had asked.

And from then on, Jinwoo was absolutely smitten.

It probably wasn't much of a secret, he assumed, with how desperate for attention he was. The I.T. guy – Dongmin, he said his name was, a name that Jinwoo liked to make cute nicknames for in his head, his favorite of which was _MinMin_ – had to come in a second time for a user-caused error. Jinwoo had acted confused as to how the batteries of the mouse had managed to disappear sometime during the day, and he acted bewildered when the speakers were disabled completely from his computer. In fact, he caused so many issues with technology that he was pretty sure he had become good enough to _be_ an I.T. guru. He spent his free time researching fixable computer errors that can be triggered by pressing a certain set of keys or by downloading mysterious programs.

He was sure Dongmin might have been catching on, as well; instead of his usual cheery smile, the man would usually giggle as he entered the room, asking Jinwoo, “Why has this become a regular thing?”

And Jinwoo would shrug his shoulders and respond, “I guess I'm just bad with technology.”

It was a lie; he knew it, Dongmin was most likely aware of it, and yet Jinwoo kept it up. He used that as explanation as to _why_ he had Dongmin around his classroom so often, and also why he had managed to get the man's number on speed-dial and constantly called him with questions concerning his computer, or his laptop, or his television, or basically anything that Dongmin could easily fix with a few simple instructions of the sound of Jinwoo's speakers, just to hear his voice.

Myungjun thought it was utterly hilarious.

“It's not only funny as hell,” the boy exclaimed one day as they finished up one of the many dramas they had on their _to-watch_ list. “But it's also a little pathetic.”

“Thanks, Myungjun.”

“No, hear me out – all you have to do, since you have his number, is ask him out on a date. I don't think I've ever met someone who _gets_ the number of someone they're obviously falling for and then uses it to ask, _why is my computer taking five extra minutes to update today, by the way, how are you?_ ” Myungjun laughed and he shoved his feet into Jinwoo's side. “I didn't know they'd give me the biggest idiot on the planet as my roommate.”

“And, yet, you became friends with this _biggest idiot_ ,” Jinwoo mumbled, trying to push Myungjun's feet away from his body.

“Because there's no one else to be friends with.” Myungjun continued in his quest to prod at Jinwoo's side with his feet, and Jinwoo didn't hesitate to keep smacking them away. “All of the other graduate kids are boring as well and just want to talk about their _degrees_ all the time. I tried bringing up a story once, of me finding and playing with this cute dog, and one of the students in my program told me to shut up because _they_ were trying to discuss techniques used in paintings by people who are dead. Jinwoo, no one told me that one of the criteria of graduate school was turning into a boring, old fart.”

Jinwoo wanted to watch the show; he didn't want to hear Myungjun ramble on and on about nothing in particular. “Yeah, well, that's what you get for choosing to go back to school. You could have just continued working, you know. You had a pretty good job at that art gallery.”

“It's different, though; I want to hang up _my_ paintings on the wall, not the paintings of losers who think that _modern art_ is an acceptable term to call their stupid, shitty squares.” Myungjun sat up suddenly, tucking his feet under him, and paused the show.

(It was at a boring part, anyway, Jinwoo had to admit.)

“We're not talking about _me_ , though,” Myungjun complained. “We're talking about _you_ and your weird aversion to calling this guy of yours. Come _on_ , Jinwoo!” Myungjun bounced up on the couch, pushing his lower lip out in a pout and gesturing wildly to Jinwoo's phone on the coffee table. “You always talk about him, and you always talk _to_ him, and you always manage to break and fix my computer in the time span of five minutes just to be on call with him, which is actually impressive, but you do _all_ of this for _what?_ ”

Jinwoo didn't like the fact that Myungjun was making sense. It wasn't the norm. Myungjun liked to speak nonsense, to rant and rave about his thoughts, to leave Jinwoo only half-listening as he focused on other things. However, everything he said were actually rather thought-provoking. Why _was_ Jinwoo calling Dongmin if not to go out with him? Why _did_ Jinwoo keep up a charade of being incompetent at computers when it was exactly the opposite. What point was there to do any of it if not to start up some sort of relationship?

“I do it for selfish reasons,” Jinwoo explained, trying his best not to sound hesitant or unsure. “I like the sound of his voice, and so when I get him on call, I get to hear him speak.”

Myungjun wasn't convinced. The older boy narrowed his eyes and studied Jinwoo's face for a second.

Confidence was the key in staring down Myungjun. Jinwoo had learned this over the years, had perfected his own confidence, and so he was able to hold Myungjun's gaze for a bit longer than the average human could. In the end, however, he blinked, and Myungjun clapped his hands loudly. “Ah- _ha!_ ” the boy called out, pointing an accusing finger toward Jinwoo. “You like _more_ than just his voice, you liar! You like _him!_ ”

Having been bested by a blink, Jinwoo sighed loudly and snatched the remote away from Myungjun's hands. “I'm not calling him for anything more than I.T. help,” he retorted, “so stop being delusional, Myungjun.”

Myungjun giggled and settled back in position, staring over at the screen. “ _I'm_ not delusional,” he murmured. “ _You're_ just an idiot.”

Myungjun always called him an idiot, but usually for superficial things, such as slipping on a patch of ice or burning his tongue on soup. Being called an idiot for actively avoiding a love life was _new_ , was different, and, shockingly enough, was _right_. Jinwoo _was_ an idiot for only using Dongmin as help to fix computers that weren't even broken in the first place.

“I really _am_ pathetic,” Jinwoo murmured to himself that night, leaving Myungjun snoring away on the sofa as he retreated to his bedroom. He had been calling a guy he liked with no intention of asking him out. Where did he _think_ it was going to go? Obviously Dongmin wasn't going to take that first step – Jinwoo was still unsure as to whether or not Dongmin felt anything for _him_.

Myungjun was a go-getter. Jinwoo thought riding the wave, going with the flow, was a far better decision. However, in that moment, staring at the phone that rest in his hand, he realized he was going to have to channel his inner Myungjun, that brave, reckless soul that decided what it wanted and grabbed onto it quickly.

Like Myungjun, he, too, would have to forgo the experience of having a brain, just for a minute or two, in order to properly take control of what his future would become.

He called Dongmin, clicking on his ID and holding his breath as he placed the phone to his ear.

It took a few rings for Dongmin to answer, his voice a little sleepy, but just as perfect as Jinwoo remembered from a few hours earlier.

“Jinwoo,” Dongmin greeted. “Are you having computer issues _again?_ ” He sounded amused. “Twice in one day – though I don't think it's beaten your record yet. Did you try-”

 _Bold_ , Jinwoo told himself, _Be Myungjun_.

“Dongmin, let's go to the cafe on campus before the lecture starts. I know you told me once you get to campus early, anyway, to catch up on some schoolwork. Let's meet, um, in the cafe and I'll buy you a drink and you can, uh, do whatever schoolwork you need to do.”

The other end was silent for a second. Jinwoo could only hear the sound of his own heart, beating loudly in his chest. He wondered if Dongmin, from the other end of the phone, could hear it, too.

“Wait.” Dongmin spoke finally, clearing his throat and asking, “Is...this a date?”

“A study date,” Jinwoo specified. “Or, uh, a regular date, if you'd rather cross out the _study_ portion of it. I'm not picky, really. I just.” He gripped at his phone and stared at the wall across him in determination. “I need to see you. Without the premise of a broken computer or frozen laptop, I need to see _you_ , the Dongmin out-outside of the I.T. uniform and the glasses and...the whole _tech guru_ guy. I need to see _Dongmin_.”

Again, silence. And, again, Dongmin broke it by clearing his throat. “Outside of the uniform, Jinwoo?”

“Figure of speech.”

“Mm. And...glasses? I need them to see.”

“Of course.”

Jinwoo said _of course_ , but he truly wanted to beg for forgiveness for ever spouting such nonsense, and he also wanted to quit his job and move somewhere far away, maybe in Canada, or even Spain. Spain looked warm and exciting. He would love to move to Spain. Dongmin could never find and ridicule him there.

“So a _study_ date,” Dongmin specified; Jinwoo could detect the humor in his voice. He was thankful this wasn't a face-to-face meeting, or else he _knew_ the blush he would be sporting would give away how humiliated he had become. “It'd be useful, Jinwoo. Sometimes I need someone to study with. I'm not very good at studying alone.”

“Oh?” Jinwoo tried not to sound too excited, though he had a grin that overtook most of his expression. “We-Well, yeah, me, too! So I figured maybe we can meet at the coffee around seven in the morning, as I assume we both might already be on campus around that time, and, um, we'll...study and talk a little bit before class begins, won't we?”

Dongmin laughed. His laughter was a little squeaky, a little breathy, and filled with an abundance of childish joy. Jinwoo had always adored making him laugh, and now, as he listened to the laughter die down into a small giggle, he loved it all the more. “We'll _talk_. Sure, Jinwoo! That sounds fantastic!”

Suffice to say, Jinwoo couldn't sleep well that night.

 

********************************

 

Jinwoo broke his computer again.

Sanha _hated it_ when he did that, because that I.T. nerd, Dongmin, would always come to fix it, and the two of them would _flirt_ and it was actually all rather disgusting. If Sanha wanted to watch a badly-timed rom-com, he wouldn't wake up for an eight am lecture at the far end of campus. He would do so from the safety and comfort of his living room, away from boring professors and idiot dancers who only took a photography class to be a thorn in Yoon Sanha's side.

(He sent a glare to Minhyuk beside him just _thinking_ of how annoying he was; Minhyuk smiled brightly, mouthing, _what did I do today?_ )

It had been a few weeks since Jinwoo had a mishap with the computer. Sanha was thinking perhaps he had gotten over his crush, or perhaps he had taken a step, _finally_ , in establishing their relationship further. It was one of the two, and Sanha figured both those choices were plausible, which would mean he would be right either way.

So when the computer crashed, Sanha watched with baited breath as the I.T. desk was called, and as nerdy, old Lee Dongmin appeared over the speaker.

“Jinwoo!” His voice was fond, and Sanha rolled his eyes.

They established their relationship further.

A few pleasantries were exchanged, Jinwoo grinning like an idiot all the while, and when they hung up, Jinwoo quickly stood back and watched for the door.

Minhyuk nudged Sanha. “Hey, let's make a bet.”

“Not with you.”

“Ten thousand won says that Jinwoo and Dongmin are together now,” he whispered.

Sanha rolled his eyes. “I've already gathered _that_ much,” he fussed. “Look at how excited Jinwoo is.”

“He's always like that. Hm. Ten thousand won says that Jinwoo and Dongmin _aren't_ together.”

Sanha grinned wickedly. “Sure. Definitely.”

“No take-backs,” Minhyuk warned.

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

It was quiet for a second, Sanha imagining buying a nice lunch with the money he would rightfully steal from Minhyuk, but then the thorn in his side spoke once more. “In addition, I will personally buy you a meal, separate from the money you'll earn, and eat lunch with you.”

Sanha wrinkled his nose. It was extra _food_ , but also with Minhyuk right _there_. He didn't know if he liked that idea. “Wait, why would-”

The door opened. Dongmin walked in. Minhyuk, with wide eyes, exclaimed, “It's a take all or leave all situation, Sanha, give me your answer _now_.”

“Yes!” Sanha rushed, just as Dongmin leaned in and pecked Jinwoo's cheek, softly whispering, _Good to see you here again, babe_.

Minhyuk clapped his hands once, not loud enough to take Jinwoo's attention away from Dongmin (though nothing ever had been), then nudged Sanha again. “We'll go out to eat today,” he said. “My treat. Maybe tomorrow, too. Let's make it a weekly thing, alright?”

Sanha wasn't sure if he _won_ the bet or not. Though, as he watched Jinwoo grab Dongmin's hand and lead him to the computer, shy smiles and light blushes across both their faces, he wondered if a date would be good for him.

“Let's just make them study dates,” he fussed.

Minhyuk grinned, dimples appearing in his cheeks. “Sounds good to me.”

(Sanha believed he had won.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> and so ends my crusade. perhaps one day i shall brave the attempt again and best it. not this day.
> 
> hmu for dollar bills and jus tto give me ideas [@vonseal](http://www.vonseal.tumblr.com)!


End file.
